Chapter 12 :The Truth Beneath the Surface
Rudravaan sat down in the chair and gestured for the others to do the same.
"Sit," he said simply.
They quickly pulled up chairs and sat.
Rudravaan looked directly at Morvyn. "I know you have a lot of questions—where I've been, what I've done, and who these two are… and what exactly happened."
Morvyn crossed his arms, frustration mixed with relief. "You're right. I have all those questions."
Rudravaan exhaled, a long, tired sigh slipping out.
"Well…" he leaned back slightly, eyes drifting for a moment, "where should I begin?"
Rudravaan glanced at Morvyn and finally continued,
"Well… I visited the SouthwestKingdom."
Morvyn's eyes widened, anger sparking instantly.
"You what? Have you gone insane—visiting another kingdom like that? What if someone recognized you?"
Rudravaan lifted his hands casually. "Hey, I'm here now, right? Why are you shouting?"
"How can I not shout?" Morvyn fired back. "After the injuries you had back then—those near-fatal wounds—you should've been healing, not wandering into another kingdom!"
Rudravaan gave a small, careless smile.
"Don't worry. Those old wounds don't bother me anymore."
Morvyn leaned forward, furious.
"Don't joke with me! With the injuries you suffered in that first battle, it was a miracle you survived at all—let alone walked into enemy territory!"
Fenlor, who had been silent the whole time, looked between the two men—completely confused but sensing the tension rising.
He stepped forward slightly.
"Hey… why are we fighting among ourselves?" he said gently. "Let's just hear him out first."
Morvyn blinked, the anger slowly fading from his face as Fenlor's words settled in.
He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down, and sank back into his seat.
"…Fine," he muttered. "Say what you need to say."
Rudravaan nodded and leaned back slightly.
"I visited the Southwest Kingdom."
He then began explaining everything—how he met Fenlor, how Henry got involved, the battles they fought, the kingdom's strange situation.
By the time he finished, the room had gone completely still.
Rudravaan looked at each of them and said quietly,
"And I also found something… interesting."
The silence tightened like a rope.
Fenlor leaned forward.
Morvyn narrowed his eyes.
Both asked at the same time,
"What is that?"
Rudravaan leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing as he turned to Fenlor.
"Hey, Fenlor… do you remember that mystery guy—the one the bartender insisted I fight?"
Fenlor nodded quickly. "Yeah, I remember him. But… what about him?"
Rudravaan rested his elbows on his knees.
"Well, nothing at first. But just before he walked away, I caught a glimpse of something—a small pouch on his hip. It had a strange symbol on it. Something I've never seen before."
Fenlor frowned. "I… don't know anything about that."
Rudravaan then shifted his gaze to Morvyn.
"Morvyn, do you remember the day when those other kingdoms joined forces to take us down?"
Anger flashed across Morvyn's face, but he forced himself to stay calm.
"…Yeah. How could I ever forget that day?"
Rudravaan nodded slowly.
"When I fought their armies… I'm sure I saw the same symbol. Not on a banner, not on armor—nothing official." He paused. "But I saw it. I know I did."
Morvyn's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"
"Absolutely," Rudravaan replied. "It wasn't a kingdom emblem. Not a flag. Nothing that belonged to any nation."
He leaned back, crossing his arms.
"That symbol… means there's some kind of group working from the shadows. A group pulling the strings behind the scenes."
The weight of his words hung heavy in the room.
Fenlor said, "But can you say that it's a group and not just one person?"
Rudravaan replied, "Well, if you think about it, how can one person do all this? Giving money to many kingdoms, controlling so many skilled fighters… it's simply impossible for a single person. Either it's a group, or someone is manipulating those kingdoms."
Morvyn asked, "So what are we going to do?"
Rudravaan smiled and said, "Well, no matter who they are, they have already attacked us. So there is only one option—strike with full force."
Then everyone leave the room fenlor cameout and saw that henry playing with other kids he plan to train himself and help rudravaan
Morvyn asked Rudravaan, "How are we supposed to fight a group we don't even know? And you're already injured. What if a strong fighter shows up?"
Rudravaan smiled. "Hey, when have I ever stopped fighting for my people?"
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Morvyn said. "You'll rush in recklessly again."
"Even injured," Rudravaan replied calmly, "I doubt anyone can match me in a face-to-face fight."
Morvyn couldn't help but smile. "Yeah… I know."
Rudravaan glanced around the room.
Morvyn frowned. "What? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing," Rudravaan said. "Just looking for some beer. Maybe a little booze."
Morvyn's temper flared. "Hey! You need to take care of your body right now!"
"Yeah, yeah… but more importantly, help me find some," Rudravaan said with a grin.
Morvyn threw up his hands and walked away. "Do whatever you want—but don't come crying to me when it hurts."
Rudravaan wandered through the grounds, partly to check if everything was in order… partly to see if he could find some booze.
As he walked, he spotted a few of his soldiers training with full focus. He kept moving until the sound of laughter drew his attention—children playing, carefree and happy.
He paused, watching them.
"I need to reclaim my kingdom… for them," he thought.
The faint smile on his face slowly faded.
Just then, he spotted a bottle of booze resting on a wooden crate. He grabbed it, took a breath, and continued toward the training field.
Fenlor was there, practicing with a group of soldiers. When the soldiers noticed Rudravaan approaching, they immediately straightened and bowed in respect. Rudravaan smiled and motioned for them to continue their training.
He called out to Fenlor.
"Hey, I'm thinking of taking a small trip. Want to come with me?"
Fenlor wiped sweat from his brow. "Yeah, of course. But… before that, will you spar with me?"
Rudravaan looked at him, noticing the fire in Fenlor's eyes—ambition, determination.
He smiled. "Alright."
The soldiers quickly cleared a wide circle for the two of them, eager to watch. Few of them had ever seen Rudravaan fight directly, and none knew the true extent of their emperor's power.
Fenlor readied himself, gripping his sword tightly.
Rudravaan, meanwhile, looked far too relaxed—booze bottle in one hand, calm expression, hardly even bothered.
He turned to one of the soldiers.
"Bring me a wooden sword."
Fenlor blinked. "What? Why are you fighting with a wooden sword?"
"It's just a spar, isn't it?" Rudravaan replied casually.
Fenlor tightened his grip. "Fine. Don't regret it later."
Rudravaan smirked as he accepted the wooden blade.
"Well… let's see who regrets something today."